In The Dark

The scream rippled through the house, skidding down the bannisters, careering into the dado just by the scuff mark Joe had made when he tripped over the dog, before coming to rest by the fridge. Frankie woke and stood in the same instant, and her feet had begun to tread independently before she had even catalogued why she had woken. And then came the encore. Frankie reached her daughter’s door in time to stop the third assault.
“Jessica!” She always used her full name when she needed her to listen. And that was right now. Her daughter was wheezing her panic across the floor, laying it at Frankie’s feet. She scooped it up as casually as she did the socks and pants on Joe’s carpet and turned on her daughter’s light in a pirouette.
“Jessica, Jessica, it’s okay. It was just a nightmare.” She made a little humorous whinnying horse noise in the hope it would break the spell of terror waltzing around the room. She refused to engage in a dance and instead moved the small sobbing body across the bed so that she could sit, her hand reaching automatically to stroke the fair hair. Her daughter’s thumb was in her mouth although small whimpering noises still escaped.
Frankie had the small talk off pat and could recite it semi-conscious. If she had one wish it would be for a stand in robot so that she could sent it and stay asleep for a whole night. She had run out of things to try and was reluctant to leave the bedroom illuminated every night as she knew the pituitary needed darkness to function. She had a sudden change of tact, “You never used to be scared of the dark, Jess, when you were in Mummy’s tummy. The dark wasn’t scary then as Mummy loved you; sometimes dark is safe and nurturing.
“Like it is for the seeds?” The thumb had been removed; it was a good sign.
“Yes, exactly. They need that darkness to gather all their strength to grow.”
“Into things of beauty?”
“Exactly Jess.”
“It wasn’t dark when I was in your tummy.”
“What do you mean, Jess?”
“I could see out through the hole.”
Frankie kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Could you darling?”
“I saw Daddy once. He had on a funny jumper with a kangaroo on the front. It had a red nose."
Frankie had half risen, had stopped breathing and had to take a gulp of the listening air before she could move. “You’ll be okay now. And look, here’s Bella to keep you company.”She had long abandoned the idea of keeping the cat out of the bedroom and right now blessed all her four paws.

Frankie made her way back to her room and lay down with the light on. Jess's words thudded in her skull, getting louder. How was it possible? Alec had been wearing the jumper on the night he’d died and she had never received it back. She knew there were no photographs of him wearing it as he had only bought it for the Oz themed party that afternoon.

She knew how it felt to be in the dark.